Marin IJ Readers' Forum for July 20

Suddenly, the five of us were startled by a high-pitched whirring noise; we turned around to see a four-pointed white drone with lights about 25 feet above us crash into a eucalyptus tree. Then it came crashing down in the middle of the street — right at the highly dangerous intersection of Sunrise and Molino avenues.

A man in his late 40s, temples greying, short beard and wearing a long-sleeve white shirt and dark slacks ran to retrieve it and then ran back on Sunrise.

We don't know if it was some burglar casing our home or casing our neighbor's home (which already had been broken into).

Or if the drone was owned by a person living on Sunrise, who was putting people's lives in danger.

These drones can crash into a kid riding a bicycle or startle a motorist into a collision. They are featured on the cover of this month's Hammecher Schlemmer catalog — for just $1,000.

You can have an ultra-high definition video camera attached which sends the video directly to the person's smart phone across the street.

That person can do with it what he or she wish — fly around your windows to see if anyone is home, see what furniture you might be hiding in your backyard or video you in your bathroom and then post that video on YouTube, etc.

Government has done nothing about this.

Current laws do not protect you, your home or your children.

Laws need to change so even the smallest drones will have to be licensed like a car, carry heavy insurance and be prohibited from flying into any privately owned property.

Already there have been far too many documented accidents where bicyclists and runners in races have been struck and seriously injured by small drones crashing into them.

Editorial cartoon gives the wrong picture

I know you must feel the need to provide a conservative voice on your editorial page, but can you find one that is more, shall we say, accurate about reality than Rick McKee.

In the July 18 IJ, McKee's editorial cartoon shows Sen. Harry Reid lying trampled on the ground among a horde of footprints, holding a sign saying "The border is secure!"

The children from Central America now waiting in Texas did not enter the U.S. by sneaking across an unguarded border — they've just been showing up at the crossing, and we've been providing them shelter.

I agree that our immigration policy needs fixing, but this is not a case of border security.

— John Larmer, Mill Valley

Thanks to Fairfax's town leaders and staff

Thank you Fairfax's town leaders and staff for their efforts in resolving the zoning referendum issue.

This was such a confusing and messy affair.

My only question and it is probably a moot one, was all this necessary?

I choose to take the good out of this situation. It woke up a complacent townspeople.

I now have so much respect for the town, the employees, our volunteers on the general plan committee and our Town Council members.

The intelligence and patience of all involved on the town's behalf was honorable.

— Millie Barrett, Fairfax

The executive director of the Marin Emergency Radio Authority is Maureen Cassingham.